Attack on press club: Police release suspects for want of evidence

Seven men were arrested for allegedly carrying out the attack on the chehlum of convict Mumtaz Qadri

KARACHI: Seven suspects held for allegedly attacking Karachi Press Club (KPC) on March 27 have been released due to ‘lack of evidence’, the police informed on Friday the administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts.

Seven workers of the Anjuman Talba-i-Islam, the youth wing of Jamiat Ulema Pakistan - Noorani, were remanded into police custody earlier this week for carrying out an attack on the press club and vandalising vehicles parked outside there on the eve of the chehlum of Mumtaz Qadri.

The investigating officer told the judge that the suspects, Abdul Qadir, Raza, Imran, Umair Khan, Zafar Iqbal, Irfan and Khawaja Raza, were released under Section 497 (2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) as no substantial evidence was found against them during the initial probe.

Section 497 (2) of the CrPC states that if it appears to the police or court at any stage of the investigation, inquiry or trial, that there are no reasonable grounds for believing that the accused has/ have  committed a non-bailable offence but that there are sufficient grounds for inquiry into the guilt, the accused shall be released on bail.

According to the police report, which was submitted after the expiry of the suspects' three-day physical remand, the investigators could not find any evidence nor did the three persons assaulted during the attack identfied the accused. Therefore, the suspects may be released whilst the inquiry is pending against them.

The ATC administrative judge, after accepting the report, approved the release of the suspects and directed the police to complete investigations and submit the final report.

The release, however, is deemed in line with the alleged agreement that federal government reached with the protesting religious parties in Islamabad.

One of the points of the reported agreement referred to the release of the protesters arrested by the police across the country.

The case was registered under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of the unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed), 427 (mischief causing damage), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substances with intent to destroy house, etcetera), 511 (punishment for commiting offences punishable with life imprisonment or a shorter term) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act at Artillery Maidan police station.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd,  2016.